03/01/1999

Artisan Home Entertainment has started production on the first dual sided, dual layered disc to be called DVD 18. According to Jeff Fink, President, Sales and Marketing, Artisan Home Entertainment, Stephen King’s THE STAND will be the first title offered in the new format. “With the first DVD 18 title, we are achieving a technical breakthrough in the world of DVD technology,” said Fink, “We were the first to pioneer DVD 9 within the home entertainment industry with the launch of James Cameron’s TERMINATOR 2 : JUDGEMENT DAY and plan to do the same with the new DVD 18 to the benefit of retailers and consumers alike. DVD 18 enables Artisan to offer our extensive library of compilations and mini-series on a single, high-quality disc.” With multiple layers on each side which can hold up to eight hours of digital information at high quality, DVD 18 eliminates the need for multiple discs for a single title and the special packaging they require. Stephen King’s THE STAND, will feature a continous six hour special edition of the critically-acclaimed television miniseries. This powerful film version is King’s best-selling novel of the same name. Starring Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Jamey Sheridan, Laura San Giacomo, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, Miguel Ferrer, Corin Nemec, Matt Frewer, Adam Stroke, Ray Walston and Rob Lowe, the film is about the end of civilization and the ultimate battle between good and evil. The specialized DVD 18 replication will be handledby Warner Advanced Media Operations (WAMO), with processing scheduled to begin by September 1, 1999.